For Use as an Intervention For Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting—Adult

Effectiveness Not Established

Author and Year

Keeley, P.W. (2009). Nausea and vomiting in people with cancer and other chronic diseases. BMJ Clinical Evidence, 2406.

Purpose:

To determine the effects of treatments for nausea and vomiting either as a result of the disease or its treatment in adults with cancer and other chronic diseases

Literature Evaluated:

No separate description of the volume of literature evaluated or the specific evaluation process was provided. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADES) system was used for rating the evidence, and these results were provided. The literature review was completed as of April 2008.

Sample Characteristics :

The study reported on 13 randomized, controlled trials (RCTs), representing more than 14,000 patients with cancer. These included studies of nausea and vomiting as a result of disease or treatment.

Limitations:

Although no evidence was identified, and, at this writing, there was a stated drug safety alert on haloperidol, this review identified haloperidol as likely to be beneficial. It is unclear how this can meet this category.

Results cited tended to focus on vomiting episodes and did not address the symptom of nausea.

Results were a mix of symptoms from the disease itself or treatment, so differentiation of applicability was not always clear.

Some aspects of the search strategy were unclear.

Some interventions stated that no RCTs or systematic reviews were found, so no evidence was provided; however, in other areas, observational studies and consensus opinions were cited as supporting evidence.

Inclusion and exclusions were not stated.

No information was included on nonpharmacologic interventions in combination with antiemetic regimens.